Visiting Chicago or New York or San Francisco

Based on my experiences in SF, the one thing I'd recommend is bring clothes you can easily layer. When it gets foggy up there it can be bitingly cold.
Being from FLA I doubt you have weather that approaches what you might encounter in SF in that respect.
 
AlwaysOnAuto said:
Based on my experiences in SF, the one thing I'd recommend is bring clothes you can easily layer. When it gets foggy up there it can be bitingly cold.
Being from FLA I doubt you have weather that approaches what you might encounter in SF in that respect.
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We have had snow and below freezing temperature ... :bang:
 
AlwaysOnAuto said:
Based on my experiences in SF, the one thing I'd recommend is bring clothes you can easily layer. When it gets foggy up there it can be bitingly cold.
Being from FLA I doubt you have weather that approaches what you might encounter in SF in that respect.
Click to expand...

How is the typical weather forecast in the Bay Area? "Foggy and 45 degrees in SF, sunny and 75 in Oakland and hazy and 90 in San Jose....."

Or some variation thereof.
 
I've lived in San Francisco for 5.5 years. People just love to come out of the woodwork to hate on SF; I find it so bizarre. Yes, there is crime (I agree our DA is absolutely terrible) and bad areas of the city (Tenderloin, 6th and Market area, pockets of SOMA). The homelessness is certainly out of control. Don't leave stuff in your car, be smart and aware of your surroundings.

A lot of these things are true in some way or another for most cities, especially big ones, and the issues with SF IMO are largely overblown. If you stay in a Hotel in Union Square right on the border of the Tenderloin and run into some sketchy people walking around, that is going to color your perception of the city. I walk around different parts of the city with a Leica or Pentax 67 several times a week and have never had any issues - dourbalistar made a good comment on this above as well.

All the negatives aside, I love the city and feel it is an incredible place to visit. The architecture, food, hills, parks, beaches, proximity to nature (Muir Woods/redwoods, Point Reyes, Mt. Tam, Yosemite, Big Sur/hwy 1), weather (bring layers) - I could go on and on. The combination of city life + natural beauty is hard to beat. Bingley gave some great recommendations above, and if you need advice on things to see or areas to stay, please feel free to PM me.

Have a great time!
 
aicardi "I live in Chicago, it's fine."

55 shot:12 killed last weekend. (956 total shootings in 2021).... No worries though, an M10 is a small target .....think I'll pass in any case
 
robert blu said:
Bagna Cauda is a typycal (winter) meal from Piedmont (North Italy).

My friend who lived in Torino told me when they took the streetcar on Monday morning to go to work they could smell garlic all the way! Bagna Cauda was usually eaten on sunday! LOL

Suggestion: if you eat it better all the family eat it LOL
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A better spot than The Rose, IMO, is across the street (Columbus Av) and up a few blocks. That's toward the water.

Great food and a lot of history.

https://www.fior.com/about-us
 
Its not the cities that would worry me, destinations are not the problem, for me its the means of travel, i.e getting on a plane, sitting in a tin cigar, rebreathing recycled air. I know they say they have 'Hospital' level filters but and its a big but for me, even before Covid, how many of us got off planes with a sore throat etc. I would love to revisit the wonderful New York.
 
robert blu said:
Thanks, I downloaded "The Fabulous Fior - Over 100 Years in an Italian Kitchen" which seems to be interesting, with recipes and history.
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When I've been in the place. it's full of locals. The only tourists seen are with local friends who took them to the restaurant. It's an upscale place but not overly expensive. An expensive bottle of wine (Italian not California) will weigh heavily on the bill.

Many of my favorite North Beach restaurants have closed, never to reopen. Covid killed them off.

I'm very happy Fior survived.

https://sfist.com/2020/07/24/new-report-says-370-restaurants-closed-in-bay-area/
 
Deardorff38 said:
aicardi "I live in Chicago, it's fine."

55 shot:12 killed last weekend. (956 total shootings in 2021).... No worries though, an M10 is a small target .....think I'll pass in any case
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All of the killings in Chicago are in the ghetto. Avoid those areas, and Chicago is a safe city. Fort Wayne is the same way. We have about 45 murders a year and several shootings and stabbings a week, and nearly every one is in the city's southeast side ghetto. The rest of the city has virtually no violent crime of any kind. In my lower-middle-class neighborhood, you can leave your doors unlocked and no one bothers anything.

The only place I have lived that really scared me was Santa Fe, New Mexico. Santa Fe is a small city, 1/5 the size of Fort Wayne, yet had more murders every year than Fort Wayne! Because it was such a small town, the shootings and killings happened everywhere. I lived in a middle-class area there and my neighborhood had three murders the last year I lived there. Santa Fe even had a serial rapist who raped nearly 30 women one year when I was out there!
 
AlwaysOnAuto said:
Based on my experiences in SF, the one thing I'd recommend is bring clothes you can easily layer. When it gets foggy up there it can be bitingly cold.
Being from FLA I doubt you have weather that approaches what you might encounter in SF in that respect.
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Yes, this^^^^. There is an app, aptly named “Mr. Chilly,” that gives current temps in all the neighborhoods of SF. You can download it from the App Store.
 
Chriscrawfordphoto said:
All of the killings in Chicago are in the ghetto. Avoid those areas, and Chicago is a safe city. Fort Wayne is the same way. We have about 45 murders a year and several shootings and stabbings a week, and nearly every one is in the city's southeast side ghetto. The rest of the city has virtually no violent crime of any kind. In my lower-middle-class neighborhood, you can leave your doors unlocked and no one bothers anything.

The only place I have lived that really scared me was Santa Fe, New Mexico. Santa Fe is a small city, 1/5 the size of Fort Wayne, yet had more murders every year than Fort Wayne! Because it was such a small town, the shootings and killings happened everywhere. I lived in a middle-class area there and my neighborhood had three murders the last year I lived there. Santa Fe even had a serial rapist who raped nearly 30 women one year when I was out there!
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Chris, I've spent quite a bit of time in Northern New Mexico, & I'll take Santa Fe any time. Your serial rapist figures really have no bearing here, given the overwhelming male demographic of the RFF. If you really think with nine hundred twenty six killings city can be called safe.... you've got a very skewed view of the universe. Give this a look if you like: https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/...s-2020-skyrocket-crime-violence-cpd-homicides
 
I was a SF resident for about 6 years and will move back there at the end of the year. Adding up the tourist stuff in the city I can fill up 3 days tops. The magic of living in SF is to be able to access places surrounding it so try to rent a car for a few days outside of the city. You will miss plenty if you just stay within city limits. For a complete vacation on foot I would recommend Boston or NY. Whenever I go anywhere my thoughts are all about the photography and for SF that means the Tenderloin area. There is no reward without danger. It’s like going to NY and avoid Times Square.
 
As others have noted, the restaurant scene in SF is still a bit uncertain due to the effects of the Covid lockdown. Some restaurants permanently closed, others closed but are reopening. One classic SF restaurant that reopened last month is the Tadich Grill on California St. in the Financial District. It’s a seafood place with plenty of character (it opened in 1849), and the food is pretty good (if somewhat old fashioned). Before I retired, I’d dine at the bar in the evenings after business meetings in the City. Always liked the petrale sole, sand dabs, and Dungeness crab. I think it’s a better bet foodwise than the seafood places along Fishermen’s wharf.

Another place I’ve been to repeatedly over the years is Greens Restaurant in the Fort Mason Center. It’s a vegetarian restaurant (but not vegan) with an imaginative menu. Also a great place for weekend brunch.

A few other restaurant recommendations to pass along: The Progress, in the Fillmore District; the Commissary, in the Presidio; and the Presidio Social Club Exchange, also in the Presidio. Also, SF museums have good cafes for informal lunches or snacks: I’d recommend the cafes at SFMOMA and the Palace of the Legion of Honor.
 
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